By. Nick Morgan, Sports Editor.
MEN’S SOCCER – Eagles aim to close the gap in the conference as newcomers look to make an immediate impact on the pitch.
The Eagles graduated seven seniors after last season’s campaign, three of whom were starters. Coach Ben Andrews knew that losing these players would leave a bit of uncertainty coming into the fall but was impressed by the amount of work his players put in during the offseason.
“We’ve had more guys playing on semi-pro teams this summer than we’ve ever had,” Andrews, who is going into his ninth season at the helm, said. “So that was helpful to know that guys were playing at a high level this offseason, which will be extremely useful coming into the fall.”
Senior Captain Ethan Jeffers commented on the depth of the roster, saying, “It’s evident that recruiting has brought in more consistently talented players [since I’ve been here]; from top to bottom, everybody on this team has a chance to start or play significant minutes.”
Players to Watch
Austin Baker (SR, D) – Baker is coming off his second consecutive All-RSC First Team season, where he netted four goals and dished out four assists. Look out for Baker to continue his dominance on the right side of the pitch for the Eagles going into his senior campaign.
Isaac Amaya (SO, F) – Amaya looks to carry his run of goalscoring into his sophomore year. As a freshman, Amaya put in eight goals and had seven assists, putting him in prime position to be one of the most dangerous forwards in the conference.
Owen Sigey (SO, F) – The Kenya native aims to continue being a large part of the Eagles offence in his second season. Sigey tallied seven goals and five assists in his first year in the purple and white. His blistering pace and eye for goals will combine to make for an exciting sophomore year.
Some new faces for the Eagles who look to impress: Zach Robbins (D), Elijah Geer (F), Trey Miller (GK) and Sammy Abraham (F)
—————————————
WOMEN’S SOCCER – Lady Eagles soccer has its sights set on returning to the national tournament.
In her first term as head coach, Elyse Overton had this to say about her upcoming season: “Returning to the national tournament is definitely a goal for this season. To get there, we really have to accept the challenge of coming out everyday to training and games ready to compete and believing we will see success. Aristotle said, ‘We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.’ That’s our team quote this year, and we are striving each day to live it out on the field.”
Players to Watch
Emily Hubbuch (SR, F) – The returning conference player of the year will look to continue her impressive run of putting balls in the back of the net. Hubbuch bagged 18 goals in the purple and white last season and shows no signs of slowing down this year.
Susie Terrazas (SO, F) – As a freshman, Terrazas tallied five goals and four assists, both of which are second best on the team of any returners. Look for her to continue to put pressure on the opposition’s back line.
Cam Davis (SO, M) – Davis impressed early in her freshman season, breaking into the starting lineup almost immediately. Her poise on the ball and excellent passing skills will allow her to continue to dominate the midfield this season.
Newcomers to keep an eye on: Delaney Long (M/D), Ashley Miller (D) and Courtney Howe (F)
———————————————
VOLLEYBALL – The Lady Eagles look to remain competitive after losing eight key contributors to graduation.
Coach Keith Stowe understands the losses will hurt but is ultimately encouraged by the roster this season. “We were projected to come in fourth [in the preseason coaches poll], which I think is a little low, especially knowing what we have coming back,” Stowe said. “In my mind, we have enough coming back that we should remain competitive with anybody in the conference.”
Junior Julia Thompson noted the incoming freshmen, saying, “We have 10 really good freshmen girls coming in, and we might only use a handful of them this season, but them coming in to build up this program is going to be huge for us in the future.”
Players to Watch
Laura Bird (SR, S) – Watch out for Bird to make a huge impact as the team’s main setter this season, improving off a successful junior campaign, where she tallied just over 500 assists for the Eagles.
Lizzy Remple (JR, OH) – Coming off of an impressive spring season, Stowe looks to make use of Remple as one of the team’s returning offensive threats from a year ago, where she had over 200 kills.
Mari-Grace Alexander (SO, OH) – Alexander hopes to showcase her offensive abilities coming off an ACL injury halted her freshman season.
Incoming players to watch out for: Miranda Newton (OH/DS) and Bethany Fye (MH)
_______________________________
CROSS COUNTRY – Veteran men’s squad has its eyes set on titles as women’s side looks to rebuild.
This year’s women’s XC team will look completely different from last. “We’ve lost everybody on the women’s side, as far as the ones who scored for us,” Coach Randy Crist said. “There’s a lot of new people, so there’s something pretty exciting about that.”
On the men’s side, proven runners will hope to make a splash in the conference. Crist said, “Last year we finished 6th of twelve in the conference, and I think we will definitely improve on that.”
Players to Watch
Justin Spoon (SO), Yoel Rivas (JR), Nathan Spear (FR), Khloe Sheeran (JR) and Grace Raison (FR)
